Mobile Suit Gundam: Birth of the White Wolf
by WithoutMorals-Revived
Summary: The One Year War had many aces, some of whom were not as famous as the Red Comet and Black Tristars. This is the story of one of them...


Author's notes: My thanks to kishiria for pointing out my mistake in that Minerva was born in September 0079, after Matsunaga became Dozul's bodyguard.   
  
  
Mobile Suit Gundam: Birth of the White Wolf   
  
  
Disclaimer: Mobile Suit Gundam and related trademarks, likenesses and logos are property of their respective owners and are used without permission.  
  
  
Early in the One Year War, the Zeon forces tried what was known as the colony drop, under the military strategy known as Operation British. Depopulating one of the many colonies they had conquered through the use of chemical and nuclear weaponry, the Zeonic Engineer Corps attatched boosters to one of them and proceeded to attempt to destroy the secret Federal Forces HQ at Jaburo by dropping the colony on the continent of South America. Unexpectedly, the colony fell apart in reentry and crashed into Australia instead, vaporising part of the continent and creating what became known as the Sydney Sea.   
  
The original plan had called for four colonies available for drop operations, but fierce Federal Forces resistance reduced this number to two. The second colony drop was attempted using the other available colony, but the Federal Forces Fleet led by the grizzled veteran General Revil managed to halt the colony and its Zeon fleet escort at the Battle of Roum. It was at this battle that Zeon lost many of its experienced Zaku pilots. However, it was also at this battle that many of the famed Zeon aces proved themselves, including 'The Red Comet' Char Aznable( who destroyed five battleships single-handed) and 'Red Blitz' Johnny Ridden( who sank three). Revil was captured by the highly-skilled Mobile Suit team known as the Black Tristars and their infamous Jetstream Attack. Other aces made their names known in other fields of war, such as Visch Donahue the Desert Thunder or Anavel Gato the Nightmare of Solomon.   
  
The Federal Forces also had their fair share of aces, foremost among them the brave men and women of the 13th Autonomous Corps stationed on the White Base. Others included the dashing captain of the immortal 04th MS Team South Burning and commander of the White Dingos Master P. Rayer. Sadly, many aces died during the War or faded into obscurity, their stories never told...  
  
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The mighty Zeon fortress known as Solomon served as the main supply base and headquarters of the Zeon Space Attack Force. Its commander, Lieutenant General Dozul Zabi,was a huge mountain of a man, bearing scars on his face from an assasination attempt some years ago. He stood before a huge screen in the main command centre, speaking to his older brother Gihren. "How are the preparations at Solomon coming along?" asked the Zeon commander.  
  
"Everything's on schedule," Dozul replied. "Construction is almost complete."  
  
"Good." Gihren paused as he was handed something by a subordinate. "Hmm?" He glanced at the paper before looking at Dozul again. "It seems Garma's forces are doing well on earth."  
  
"Oh, that's good news!" Dozul chuckled. "I'll bet those Fat Pigs are cowering in their Jaburo hideout now, knowing one of the Zabis is on Earth!"  
  
Gihren laughed as well. "Yes, that would suit their mentality." He made as if to sign off, but stopped as he remembered something. "Ah, Dozul, one last thing."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"About these...'inspections' of yours," Gihren continued. "I think it best if you TRY to avoid turning them into impromptu sorties on the enemy."  
  
"Uh..."   
  
"But if you find that it simply isn't possible, find yourself a decent bodyguard." Gihren's expression became serious. "Remember, you are a General. You can't go around engaging the enemy yourself, you have too many responsibilities!"  
  
"I understand, brother."  
  
"Alright, until next time." The two brothers saluted each other, and the screen went dark.  
  
*****************  
  
"-and he wants me to find myself a bodyguard!" Dozul complained to his pregnant wife Zenna as she sat on a rocking chair, smiling softly as her husband continued ranting.   
  
"Perhaps he's right, dear," she replied as his triade died down. "You do tend to take risks on those inspections of yours, you know."  
  
"Zenna!" Dozul replied,aghast. "I have to keep my men on their toes somehow!"  
  
"I know, I know, that's why you have that customised Zaku of yours," she replied. "But still, I'd feel better knowing there was someone watching your back when you're off fighting." She looked at him sadly. "Don't forget, Dozul, you have a family to take care of." She carressed her swollen belly, reminding him of her condition.  
  
Dozul looked down at her lovingly, then leaned over to kiss the top of her head before embracing her. "Alright, I'll find a bodyguard if that's what you want."   
  
"Thank you." Just then there was a knock on the door. Dozul reluctantly released his wife and gave permission for the person to enter. The door slid open to reveal one of the officers from the bridge.  
  
"Sorry to bother you, sir," the man said, saluting. "Captain Ridden's ship is just docking."  
  
"Ridden,eh?" Dozul looked thoughtful. "He's supposed to be a good pilot, maybe I could convince him to be my bodyguard," He glanced at Zenna. The woman smiled at his teasing.   
  
"Oh, go on!" she scolded jokingly. Dozul laughed heartily and beckoned the officer to follow him.   
  
*****************  
  
"Do you know of any pilots who'd be willing to accompany me as a personal bodyguard?"   
  
The blond pilot Dozul was speaking to leaned back into his seat while he thought. 'Heh,' he chuckled mentally. 'It isn't everyday a general invites you into his private office and asks for your advice, Johnny my boy, so make the best of it.' "If you don't mind me asking, sir," he replied calmly. "What for? As far as I know, you're not a bad pilot yourself!"  
  
"Thank you for the compliment, Captain," Dozul said,pouring himself a drink and offering another to the pilot. "Coming from the famous 'Red Blitz' that is high praise indeed."  
  
Johnny Ridden chuckled. "People call me the Red Lightning, sir. Has a better ring to it than Red Blitz, I think. But seriously," he said, leaning closer as if emparting some deep dark secret. "I do know this one guy..."  
  
"Go on."  
  
"He's called Shin Matsunaga."  
  
"Of the Matsunaga family?" Dozul asked, surprised. "I thought they were pacifists!"  
  
"Well, they might be, but Shin's a trooper." Ridden paused to accept the offered drink. "I met him in the academy. Passed with flying colours."  
  
"So did most of our officer corps," Dozul reminded him. "What makes him different?"  
  
"He took out a total of six Feddie ships during Operation British and the Roum Campaign," Ridden informed him. "And earned himself a battlefield promotion at the Battle of Roum itself."  
  
"Well, that is impressive!" Dozul said. "Thank you for the tip, Captain."  
  
"No problem, General," the ace pilot grinned. "Shin's a good man. He won't let you down!"  
  
*****************  
  
"Shin Matsunaga?" Ranba Ral, one of Zeon's veteran Mobile Suit pilots and known as the Blue Nova, stroked his chin thoughtfully as he faced Dozul from the bridge of his ship. "I've heard of him."  
  
"And how would you describe him?" Dozul asked through the monitor.  
  
Ral was silent as he thought out his answer. "A good pilot. Comes from a good family and an almost flawless record. Has leadership qualities. He'd make a great officer."  
  
"Hm," Dozul mused. "So you think he would make a good enough bodyguard?"  
  
Ral smiled slightly. "If I may say so, sir," he began. "If he was your bodyguard, I'd say you'd have nothing to worry about."  
  
Dozul nodded. "Then I've found my bodyguard."  
  
*****************  
  
A few days later...  
  
"D-did I hear you correctly, sir?" gasped a young bearded man. "You want ME to be your escort and bodyguard?!"  
  
A smile spread across Dozul's scarred face as the younger man spluttered with disbelief. "If I wasn't sure, Lieutenant, I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of tracking you down and asking you to come here!"  
  
"But, sir! I'm just a lieutenant!" Shin Matsunaga protested.   
  
"A spell at the officer training school will fix that, Lieutenant," Dozul assured him. He held up a folder. "Your records are excellent, and you were recommended by Johnny Ridden AND Ramba Ral! There's no man better qualified to be my bodyguard."  
  
"Thank you for this oppurtunity,sir!" Matsunaga saluted. "I won't let you down!"  
  
"Oh, I'm sure you won't, Lieutenant."  
  
Some weeks later...  
  
"Did you hear?" "What?" "Word is the commander of the Space Attack Force at Solomon has some hotshot pilot for a bodyguard." "No way! Who, Char?" "Nope, some new guy."   
  
"Alright, cut the chatter!" ordered the captain from the bridge of a Magellan-class battleship, the Silver Horn. 'I hate these bloody convoy missions...' he thought to himself. Since the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, the Federal Forces were finally able to assemble a fleet outside Luna-II with out fear of nuclear attack. Unfortunately, there were sometimes surprise attacks by Zeon forces. Federal intelligence couldn't understand the significance of these attacks, since they didn't seem to be anything more than haphazard strikes with no focus or obvious goals other than to trouble the assembling fleet and keep the troops on edge.  
  
"Sir!" a cry drew his attention to one of the soldiers at the consoles. "Enemy units approaching!"  
  
"Fighters! We have company!" the captain bellowed. "Deploy and engage!" As he spoke, dozens of Earth Federal Space Force fighters launched and proceeded to engage the enemy.   
  
"Sir, enemy units identified as Zaku IIs with accompanying Musais. At least 30 MS!" The captain gave the order to call for reinforcements. 'I was afraid of this...'  
  
"On your tail! Watch out!" "I can't shake him! I can't shake him!" "I'm hit! I'm hit! Arrrgh---!" "Hahah! Got one!" The screams, war cries and warnings blared through Federal and Zeon cockpit alike as the Federal troops tried desperately to stave off the enemy attack. A Salamis cruiser opened fire to give them support, but suddenly exploded when a Zaku wielding a huge oversized heat hawk destroyed the bridge.   
"Heads up, I know that Zaku," warned one of the veterans. "That's the Zeon commander's personal Mobile Suit!" It stood out among its lower-ranking brothers with elaborate gold symbols decorating it right up to the commander's horn on the head. The gigantic heat hawk was also a dead giveaway.   
  
"Hahahaha!" laughed Dozul, the bloodlust burning within him. "Come on, Feddies!" he sneered over the communicator so everyone could hear him. "Is this the best you Fat Pigs can do?" While he spoke, he shot down two fighters with a sweep of his Zaku machinegun.   
  
As he taunted, he didn't realise the Magellan was in range and had him in its sights. "Alright, you Zeon piece of slime," growled the captain. "Let's see you laugh this off!" The Magellan fired its main guns, the Zaku directly in the line of fire.   
  
"General, watch out!" Just before the beam could hit, another Zaku, this one with a white head, tackled Dozul's, the momentum pushing both of them out of the way. Then, almost immediately, it boosted towards the Magellan, heat hawk raised high. The horrified captain barely had time to register a symbol on the Zaku's shoulder before the bridge was sliced open and destroyed.   
  
*****************  
  
"Sir, we've lost the Silver Horn." A Federal strikeforce was on its way to assist the beleaguered convoy when a chilling message came through the communications channel.   
  
"I-it was..it was...a...White...Wolf...!" rasped the voice before communications were lost.   
  
*****************  
  
Later, at Solomon...  
  
"I am now proud to make offical your promotion!" declared General Gihren Zabi, who had decided to preside over this ceremony himself ( seeing it as an excellent chance for one of his famous rousing speeches to improve morale and glorify Zeon). "Congratulations, Captain Shin Matsunaga!" Gihren offered his hand to the newly-promoted Captain, who shook it proudly. "I expect great things from you," Gihren said.   
  
"I won't disappoint you, sir," He then turned to face the cheering crowd and saluted them, then walked back to stand beside other officers while Gihren raised his fist.   
  
"Glory to the Principality of Zeon!" A roar of approval erupted from the crowd as Archduke Degwin looked on, a slight smile on his face.  
  
*****************   
  
Shin Matsunaga went on to become one of the foremost Zeon aces, and became known as the White Wolf of Solomon. Ironically, the feared White Wolf did not fight at Solomon, having been called back to Side 3 not long before the Federal assault. On hearing of the death of Dozul in heroic battle, the tough and battle-hardened ace was said to have burst into tears and wept openly.  
  
  
  
Reviews, comments, suggestions and criticisms (constructive or otherwise) are welcome and can be sent to Withoutmorals@antisocial.com 


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